In this episode, I'm sharing with you three promises I made to myself when I recovered from anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Not only have these promises helped me keep pushing myself, but they have also helped me stay recovered for the past seven years! And I think they might help you, too! If you’re looking for some insight into my own journey with severe anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia, and you’re wondering what it might look like to maintain anxiety recovery, this episode is for you.
And before we get started I want to share a bit of a spoiler… these promises have nothing to do with meditating every day, doing breathwork, following a strict routine, or journaling daily. I don’t have to do these things to stay recovered, and neither do you if you don’t want to! So let’s get into it.
Anxiety Recovery: Three Important Promises I Made to Myself When I Recovered
01. I promised myself that I would face discomfort often.
This first one is such a big reason why I recovered from panic disorder and agoraphobia…and stayed recovered! When I was working to recover, I knew I had lots of facing to do. So many small things caused me lots of discomfort, and I knew that facing it often was so essential to my healing. I had to take accountability and change so many of my unhealthy coping mechanisms! For me, this looked like slowly leaning into the discomfort. I started sitting through work meetings, taking trains, going on trips far from home, and being the passenger in vehicles, which were all things I avoided very often. And thanks to this promise I made to myself, I kept learning to make space for all of my emotions. Even the uncomfortable ones!
02. I promised myself that I would never go back to struggling.
This one might seem pretty obvious, and maybe even a little bit silly… but it was really important for me to make this promise to myself while I was healing. As I started to heal, I became much more aware of all of the contributors that led me to a place of disordered anxiety. And once I became aware of those contributors, I knew I had to promise myself that I would never go back to this place of struggling with anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. And when I say that I promised to never let myself go back to struggling, what I really mean is that I promised to always hold myself accountable. Most importantly, I had to learn how to create a healthy relationship with myself! So much of my own experience inspires how I teach my students and clients. That’s why I spend so much time teaching the skills to build a healthy relationship with yourself in my ten-week program, Panic to Peace!
03. I promised myself that I would help others overcome panic disorder and agoraphobia.
If you’re familiar with my story, you know that I struggled with anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia for fifteen years… which is a really long time! If I had the knowledge, tips, and tools earlier on, I wouldn’t have struggled for nearly as long (and it wouldn't have been so dang hard!). And once I recovered, I made it my mission to help as many people heal much faster and with more ease than I did! And today, my mission is still to help as many people as I can to live the life that they are so deserving of.
When I was struggling, I felt so doomed. I was sure this is what the rest of my life would look like, and I felt so hopeless for so long. I thought I was the only person who dealt with this, and I felt so alone in my struggles. But all of the work I did is what led me to creating this podcast, and talking with you today! As much as I wish I didn’t have to struggle as much as I did, a big part of me is also really grateful. So many of my struggles showed me who I really am, and helped me step into a much better version of myself.
And I just want to remind you… you are never alone! There are so many people who struggle with the same thing, and so many of them have recovered from this. Know that it is absolutely possible for you, and I’m cheering you on! Until next time, friend, keep taking healthy action.
TRANSCRIPT